MB Patil, Kris Gopalakrishnan, Thomas John Muthoot, Rabindra Srikantan, and Guruprasad Mudlapur said artificial intelligence is reshaping industrial competitiveness, but long term progress will depend on governance, reskilling, transparency, and trusted digital ecosystems.
Bengaluru, 10 March 2026: Artificial intelligence, industrial competitiveness, and digital trust were at the centre of discussions at the CII Karnataka State Annual Meeting 2025 to 26, held in Bengaluru under the theme “Industrial AI Transformation and Trust.”
Addressing the meeting, MB Patil, Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development, Government of Karnataka, said Karnataka is entering a new phase of industrial transformation shaped by artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and trusted digital systems. He said the state’s innovation base, including more than 800 research and development centres, over 18,000 start ups, and nearly 35 percent of India’s Global Capability Centres, places it in a strong position to lead this transition. He added that the focus is now moving beyond ease of doing business to the speed of doing business, supported by policy stability, digitalised compliance, and an innovation ecosystem that allows industry to scale responsibly.
In his keynote address, Kris Gopalakrishnan, Past President, CII, and Co founder, Infosys, said artificial intelligence will redefine what is possible for economies, industries, and societies. He said the choices being made now by companies, institutions, and the country will shape India’s economic direction for decades, adding that alongside productivity gains and wider access to expertise, there is also a need to invest in domestic capability, responsible governance, and large scale reskilling.
Thomas John Muthoot, Chairman, CII Southern Region, and Chairman and Managing Director, Muthoot Fincorp, said the success of industrial AI will depend not only on technology but also on trust, governance, and responsible implementation. He said businesses adopting AI must focus on inclusive adoption, continuous skilling, and transparent frameworks that balance innovation with ethical responsibility, while leadership teams and boards strengthen governance around data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the responsible use of digital systems.
Rabindra Srikantan, Chairman, CII Karnataka State Council 2025 to 26, and Managing Director, ASM Technologies, said industry is going through a major shift in how humans, machines, and intelligent systems work together across manufacturing and industrial value chains. He said as AI moves from supporting human judgment to enabling autonomous decisions, trust becomes the key link between advanced technology and human confidence.
Guruprasad Mudlapur, Vice Chairman, CII Karnataka State Council 2025 to 26, and President, Bosch Group in India and Managing Director, Bosch Limited, said industrial AI has moved from experimentation to becoming a core driver of productivity, quality, and resilience in manufacturing. He said Karnataka’s engineering talent, innovation ecosystem, and industry academia linkages give it an opportunity to lead, but success will require collaboration across SMEs, MSMEs, and MNCs to scale AI in predictive maintenance, automation, and data led production, alongside trusted digital systems rooted in data security and transparency.
The event also featured a panel discussion on Industrial AI Transformation and Talent Integration, moderated by N Venu, Immediate Past Chairman, CII Karnataka, and Managing Director and CEO, India and South Asia, Hitachi Energy, as well as Managing Director, Hitachi India. He said the real opportunity in industrial AI lies not only in deploying advanced technologies, but in integrating them with legacy systems, skilled talent, and trusted digital frameworks.
At the meeting, CII Karnataka also announced its new office bearers for 2026 to 27. Guruprasad Mudlapur was elected Chairman of the CII Karnataka State Council, while Sam Cherian, Managing Director, Schevaran Laboratories Pvt Ltd, was elected Vice Chairman.
The event brought together industry leaders, technology experts, and business executives to discuss how artificial intelligence is changing industrial ecosystems and why trust, governance, and talent capability will remain central to the next phase of industrial transformation in Karnataka.
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